The University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh announced Tuesday it is offering eligible faculty and staff a voluntary retirement buyout with a one-time payment equal to 50% of an employee's annual base salary.

UW-Oshkosh becomes the third campus within the UW System to offer buyouts in an effort to reduce its workforce in the face of state budget cuts. UW-Eau Claire was the first, followed last week by UW-Superior.

UW-Oshkosh expects about 100 employees would be eligible. It has set a goal of reducing its workforce by 80 within the next three years.(107)

Man uses Craigslist to make threats, police say

A West Allis man was charged in Waukesha County Circuit Court Wednesday with making felonious threats on Craigslist toward a woman known for her commercials for a Milwaukee area car company.

Jeffrey A. Blaha, 48, is charged with the Class H felony of making threats to injure.

According to the criminal complaint, he is accused of using the rants and raves section on Craigslist in Milwaukee to post a statement telling the woman to shut up and asking her to meet him at Tumbleweeds for a sexual act so TV viewers can get a break from her commercials. He said the commercials were annoying.

The woman, Heiser Automotive spokeswman Mary Ann Scaffidi of Hartland, went to the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department because she felt the April 18 posting was a threat of sexual assault, the complaint says.

Detectives were able to trace the IP address to Blaha’s residence. When they questioned Blaha, he said that he saw three commercials in a row for that car company and it set him off, the complaint says. He said he had gone to that car dealership in the past.

At the detective’s direction, Blaha posted a letter of apology on Craigslist, not directed at the woman, but was a warning to the general public about the contents of their messages, the complaint says.

Scaffidi has filed a restraining order against Blaha, according to court records.

Blaha is scheduled to be in court on July 6.

Blaha has a criminal history. He was convicted of misdemeanor battery in 1998, carrying a concealed weapon in 1997, and battery and criminal damage to property in 1989.

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